Lorenz Bohle is optimistic for the year ahead
Machinery group L.B. Bohle is set to enter 2015 in good shape following a major investment and additions to the management team.
The group has made a multi-million euro investment which will see the opening of a new Technology Center at its HQ in Ennigerloh in March 2015.
In other measures, owner Lorenz Bohle has strengthened the management team, promoting Sales Manager Tim Remmert to the Management Board. The Board will also see greater involvement from Dr Hubertus Rehbaum (Research & Development) and Thorsten Wesselmann (Engineering).
“We might not have been able to escape the effects of the difficult market environment.” said Bohle. “But we have retained our leadership position and invested further in innovation.” At Plant 3, the focus has been on establishing lean production. Also, a sales offensive in Asia and South America, and particularly in the recovered US market, are expected to bring a acceleration in incoming orders across the entire product range.
“At Interpack 2014, we presented an alternative to the Wurster process with the Bohle Uni Cone BUC process, which coats even the smallest particles more evenly and precisely,” said Bohle. The process allows users to apply active substances to their products with the high precision. “Even in very complex processes, the losses are below one percent,” Bohle added.
The new technology centre will open in March 2015
The new centre is designed for the development of continuous production processes. The high-tech building will offer services for direct compression, wet granulation and dry compaction. “Significant for customers is the permanent and cross-process measuring, monitoring and controlling of production, for which we are now laying the groundwork,” said Bohle.
“Beginning 1 January 2015, our long-term Sales Manager Tim Remmert will be more involved in strategic activities," said Bohle on the subject of additions to the board. In addition, Manager Scientific Operations Dr Hubertus Rehbaum has joined the executive ranks as an assistant to the Management Board. Thorsten Wesselmann has taken on the role of Head of Engineering. Armin Bohle resigned from his operational activities with the company at his own request in October 2014, but will continue to support the development of the company as a shareholder.
“Our equity ratio remains at 50 percent,” said Lorenz Bohle. Investments will be financed through current operations. “With the drive in America and with the team and potential cooperation partners, we consider ourselves to be solidly positioned for 2015, a year in which we will face considerable challenges owing to the Interphex and Achema trade fairs and the opening of the Technology Center.” As a goal he has set his sights firmly on a return to thegrowth rates of previous years.